Gus Arnheim, born on September 4, 1897 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an American pianist and bandleader. He began his career as a vaudevillian accompanist to Sophie Tucker before forming his own orchestra in 1927. Arnheim's first hit song "I Cried for You" was released in 1923. His orchestra made several film shorts for Warner Brothers' Vitaphone Corporation. Arnheim had an extended engagement at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles from 1928 to 1931. During this period, Arnheim's band backed Bing Crosby on popular records released by Victor Records in 1931, contributing significantly to Crosby's rise as a crooner. Notable collaborators with Arnheim’s band included Fred MacMurray, Russ Columbo, and Stan Kenton. Arnheim also composed "Sweet and Lovely" among other notable songs. He died of a heart attack on January 19, 1955 in Los Angeles.
